“You think everyone will fall in love with that mountain of yours and want to stay,” Amber joked.
“Who wouldn’t?” Kelos asked. “Except you.”
“Why except me?” Amber asked as they stopped walking.
“Because you fell in love with me, and that is why you are going to stay.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “You know I’m right.”
“Oh, do I?” Amber asked as she slipped her arms around him and leaned against his chest. Her teeth chattered as she hugged him, and his arms tightened protectively around her.
“Come on.” He slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her along the street. “Let’s grab a taxi and go to O’Malley’s. We can get a drink, maybe some food.”
“That sounds like a great plan.” She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the safe house. “You sensed Joanna, didn’t you?”
“I did. I did not know she was a cop, though, I’m not that good.” They reached a busy road and kept a watch for a taxi.
“You mean that even at your age, you haven’t mastered the art of sensing whether someone is good or bad?” Amber asked as a taxi pulled up beside them.
“No, the one thing I have learned is that not many people are good or bad, they are usually something in the middle. A murky gray.” He opened the cab door and she slipped inside.
“A murky gray. Nice.” She slid across the seat and he got in beside her.
“Except you.” He closed the door. “O’Malley’s, please.”
“Sure thing.” The cab pulled away from the curb and Kelos leaned back in his seat, hoping they had made the right decision.
“So, what color am I?” she asked.
“Blue, like the clearest sky in early spring,” he said wistfully.
“I like blue,” she told him as she snuggled up to him. “I also like green.”
“You do?” he asked.
Amber pressed her lips to his ear. “Are all dragons green?”
“No. They are a myriad of colors.” He closed his eyes briefly and recalled a time when other dragons roamed the far reaches of the world.
“We’re here,” the cab driver said, jerking him out of his daydream.
“Thank you,” Amber reached into her purse and then handed cash to the driver.
Kelos got out of the cab first and held out his hand to her. “It looks like a lively place.”
“It does.” Amber stood on the sidewalk next to him, the cab drove off and they crossed the street toward the entrance to O’Malley’s.
Raising his head, he sniffed the air. Yeah, definitely shifters. At least the majority of them were, a few people were normal humans, possibly mates or perhaps just friends of the shifters who came to drink here.
“I suppose we’d better go inside.” Amber tugged his hand and he realized he’d been frozen to the spot, staring at the bar.
“I suppose we should.” He slipped his arm possessively around Amber’s shoulder and they stepped off the sidewalk. A few heads turned to watch them as they approached but Kelos kept walking.
“We’re outsiders,” Amber murmured as they reached the entrance to the bar. Double doors with frosted glass obscuring their view inside stood between them and the place Joanna had asked to meet them. “You don’t think Joanna set us up, do you?”
Kelos shook his head. “I don’t think so. She seemed genuine.” He placed his hand on the door and pushed it open. “There’s only one way to find out.”
They went inside.
Chapter Twenty – Amber
“Drink?” Kelos asked once they were inside the bar. He was nervous, people were staring, and he didn’t like it.
“It’s okay,” Amber reassured him. “Let them stare.” She guided them toward the bar, not letting go of Kelos’s hand. She was nervous, too, but she was also used to walking into strange places and making friends. Without being able to shift into a dragon and make a quick getaway, unlike Kelos, she had learned to adapt.
“I’ll buy the drinks,” Kelos insisted as they approached the crowded bar. Not that they had to squeeze through the crowd, the people seemed to part in front of them, stepping to one side to create a path.
“Now that is strange,” Amber said quietly to Kelos as they reached the bar.
“I’ll have a beer, please.” He glanced at Amber. “What do you want to drink?”
“I’ll have a rum and Coke, please, lots of ice.” She smiled, keeping it friendly as the bartender nodded, his eyes lingering on Kelos a little longer than she’d have liked.
“Shall we take our drinks to the back of the bar?” Kelos suggested. “Maybe we’ll find somewhere quiet.”
“Sure.” She scanned the bar area, disappointed that there was nowhere to eat. Her stomach growled in response to the thought of food. They’d have to grab something after they met with Joanna.
“There you go.” The bartender set the two drinks down on the bar.
“How much?” Kelos asked, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.
The bartender grinned in a goofy kind of away. “No charge, dragon.”
Kelos’s head snapped back as he studied the bartender. “Thank you.”
“Anything else you need, just let me know.” The bartender didn’t move off to serve his next customer, instead he was frozen to the spot, staring at Kelos.
“Do you have a quiet place we could sit?” Amber asked, quickly aware that plenty more people in the bar must be aware they were in the presence of a dragon.
“Sure.” He inclined his head toward a door marked Private. “This way.”
Leaving the busy bar in the hands of another bartender, he led them through the door and into a quiet, comfortable sitting area with a couple of sofas and a TV.
“Are you sure this is okay?” Amber stood in the doorway, uncertain as to if they should stay or go.
“It’s the staff break room. And I own the bar, so yes, it’s okay.” He grinned at Kelos. “We don’t get many dragons in here and as much as I like you guys, you distract my customers from drinking.”
Kelos laughed. “I have that effect on people. Although, not everyone can sense me.”
The bartender took a step closer and sniffed the air. “You smell of sulfur and taste metallic on my tongue.”
“Maybe next time we go to a bar, you should wear stronger cologne,” Amber told him. Then she fixed the bartender with a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose you have any food, do you?”
“We have traveled a long way and have a long night before us,” Kelos said. “There is a woman who will be coming to meet us. I’d also appreciate it if you could direct her to us.”
The bartender’s smile widened. “I just love the way you guys talk.”
Amber smothered a laugh that threatened to burst out by taking an interest in a photograph on the wall. As she studied the faces in the photograph, her smile faded. “Do you know Detective Joanna Hargreaves?”
“Yeah, she used to work at the bar. Years ago, before she joined the force. She still comes here to drink…” He pointed as Kelos. “You are here to meet Joanna.”
Kelos inclined his head. “We are. Could you tell her where we are when she arrives? It’s especially important.”
“Sure.” The bartender nodded and then thrust out his hand. “I’m O’Malley, by the way… I know, who names a bar after themselves?”
Kelos looked down at the bartender’s hand then gripped it in his own. “Good to meet you, O’Malley. My name is Kelos and this is my mate, Amber.”
“Mates.” O’Malley nodded happily. “That’s beautiful.”
Kelos shook the bartender’s hand and then let it drop. “We shouldn’t keep you away from the bar any longer.”
“Oh, sure.” O’Malley nodded and backed out of the room. “Anything you want, just help yourself. There’s a small kitchen in the next room, along with coffee and tea, plus some food. Or I could send one of my staff out for some takeout. There’s a great pizza place just down the street.”
“No, that’s fine. We can rustle something up here if that’s okay.” Amber put her hands up to reassure O’Malley. “You’ve done enough already. Thank you for the drinks and for letting us sit back here.”
“No problem.” O’Malley glanced at his watch. “Joanna should be along in an hour or so. She usually pokes her head in to say hello after her shift.”
“Thanks.” Amber sipped her drink and half turned away from O’Malley.
“I’d love to ask you questions sometime.” O’Malley paused in the doorway, his hand on the door handle.
“Questions?” Kelos asked dubiously.
“Yeah.” O’Malley ducked his head and his cheeks flushed pink. “I’m a history buff. I’m guessing you’ve been around for a long while. You’ve lived through some of the events I’ve read about… Sorry.”
“Oh.” Kelos nodded, his forehead creased. “Sure. Questions. I will return and answer your questions.” O’Malley looked unsure and Kelos added, “I give you my word.”
“Okay. The word of a dragon, you can’t get better than that.” O’Malley took one last look at his guests and then left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. The noise of the bar rose briefly as he entered the bar but then faded again, leaving Amber and Kelos alone.
“Never a dull moment when you are traveling with a dragon.” Amber sipped her rum and Coke before slumping down on the gray sofa. “I just need to rest for a moment then I’m going to go see what food there is.” She looked up at Kelos. “I was going to leave some cash for O’Malley. I don’t like taking things without paying.”
“Take what you need,” Kelos told her.
“Isn’t that taking advantage of your position or something?” Amber asked.
He came to sit next to her and took a slug of his beer. “I am a dragon shifter. Rare these days, it’s true. But even when there were many of us, people still held us in awe.”
“Wow. Really?” Amber had never bought into the rock star or movie star adulation thing. She certainly wasn’t inclined to see Kelos as a shifter star. No wonder he thought a lot of himself.
“Yes. O’Malley is happy to give us drinks and food. If you pay him, he’ll feel insulted.” Kelos half turned to look at her. “Believe me, I have learned many times from experience. Even the poorest of people like to be generous. It makes them feel good. It allows them to feel benevolent.”
“And you just take it?” Amber asked.
Kelos sighed and looked down at his bottle of beer. “This is a secret I will share with you because you are my mate and I trust you.”
“Okay.” Her eyes narrowed. “You are a complicated beast, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea.” He leaned closer to her. “After I have accepted what people have offered me, I leave. But at some point in the future, be it near or far, I will repay the favor. A few coins dropped here, a dam unblocked there.”
“You go back and do something for them. You’re like a lucky talisman.” Amber nodded in approval. “Who would have thought?”
“That is between you and me.” He took another gulp of beer. “I can’t have everyone thinking I am going soft.”
Amber pretended to zip her mouth shut. “Your secret is safe with me.”
She leaned her head back on the sofa and stared at the TV although it was not switched on. This was all so surreal.
“I hope Fabian is okay.” She sighed and took a drink. “I should call Margie.”
“Not yet,” Kelos advised. “She won’t be happy that we left Fabian behind and you will find it a distraction if she’s angry with you.”
“You’re right. I’ll call her when we’ve heard what Joanna has to say.” Amber got up, needing something to do to take her mind off Margie and the kids. They would love to see Fabian again. How could she explain to them that they had managed to get Fabian safely out of the house only to send him right back in again? “I’ll go grab something to eat.”
Kelos watched her go, concern on his face, which she ignored. She was totally committed to the plan. If they could help strengthen the case against Roman Ostabell, in any way, it would make things easier for Fabian.
However, Amber could not figure out why Joanna hadn’t acted on her information already. She worked for the police force, so why not just deal with it through official channels?
An hour later, after demolishing a packet of chips and a couple of cups of coffee, she hoped to get her answers as the door opened and Joanna walked in.
“You’re here.” She looked a little surprised. “I thought you might have flown away.”
“We are committed to helping Fabian,” Kelos told her. “So, what do you have to tell us?”
“Dragons are always so direct.” Joanna slumped down on the second sofa, a glass of neat whiskey in her hand which she sipped slowly, savoring the taste. “Okay. I have information. But I have to stay out of it.”
“Stay out of what?” Amber asked.
“The information I have is that there is a file hidden in an office downtown. It contains incriminating evidence against Ostabell.” She looked from Kelos to Amber, as if trying to communicate the importance of the information. “I can tell you exactly where it is.”
“How do you know all this?” Kelos asked. Did he sense a trap? Because Amber sure did.
“I got the information from a source I’m not willing to name. One of Ostabell’s known associates collected information on him. He’s as corrupt as Ostabell so he would never hand it over to the police. But my source has had eyes on it. It’s real and its contents are enough to put Ostabell away for a long time.”
“Why are you so concerned about Ostabell?” Kelos asked. “Tell me what he did to you.”
“My father used to work for him. Not on anything illegal.” Joanna took a swig of her drink. “He saw something he shouldn’t and Ostabell had him killed.”
“And that is why you have an interest in bringing Ostabell to justice.” Kelos’s eyes narrowed. “Why not go in and get this file yourself? The police could issue a warrant and use the information to build a case against Roman.”
“Because we have nothing on the person concerned. He’s squeaky clean on the surface. There are no grounds for a warrant. And even if there were, the file would likely be destroyed before we got a hold of it.” She shook her head and got up from the sofa to pace the room. “There is someone in my department taking bribes. That’s how come your brother and his family were compromised.”
“Can we just backtrack?” Amber said. “Ostabell had your father killed?” The blood had drained from her face and her hand shook as she placed it over her mouth. “We should have gotten Fabian out of there. What if they kill him?”
“That’s not going to happen,” Joanna assured Amber. “My boss has placed officers as lookouts. Officers that are loyal to him and no one else. Fabian is safe.”
“Can you be certain?” Amber asked hotly. “Absolutely, one hundred percent certain.”
“I understand your concerns,” Joanna tried to placate Amber. “I really do. But this file could bring Ostabell down for good.”
“So, this file,” Kelos began. “How do we get into the building to retrieve it?”
“You fly,” Joanne said simply. “We haven’t been able to get a warrant and the offices are on the top two floors of the building so it’s not as if we can get in unseen. Believe me, we’ve tried.”
Joanna didn’t elaborate on the outcome of these attempts.
“You want me to fly across the city, land on the roof of the building, and break into these offices?” Kelos asked.
“Yes.”
Kelos nodded. “I simply wanted to be sure we are completely clear.”
“You are actually thinking of doing this?” Amber asked incredulously.
“If it will help your brother and put a bad person in jail, then yes.” Kelos locked eyes with Amber. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“And do you always do the right thing?” Amber countered, her voice high and breathy. Sh
e was scared, torn between her love for her brother and her love for the man she’d met only a couple of days ago but knew in her heart she had been waiting her whole life for.
“No. No one always does the right thing.” Kelos went to her, placing his hands on her upper arms as he said, “But this is the only way to keep you safe. To keep your brother and his family safe.”
“If you are successful, the information will shed light on various parts of Ostabell’s business. I also believe there is unequivocal proof that he killed my father and other people.” Joanna took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “If you get this file, the money laundering will be the least of Ostabell’s worries.”
“This could give your brother his life back.” Kelos’s eyes were dark, filled with emotion and she loved him for it. She loved him for the passion and the strength he possessed.
“If you go, I’m coming, too.” Amber looked back at him, her eyes mirroring his own passion and strength.
“Amber, it’s too dangerous,” Kelos told her.
“Then it’s too dangerous for you,” she countered.
“If you go and you are caught,” Joanna began, “it might lead Ostabell back to your brother. Don’t make that mistake.” Her eyes held a haunted expression for a long moment before she blinked and fixed her professional façade in place.
“I can’t let you go alone.” Amber flung her arms around Kelos, feeling a little melodramatic but she couldn’t bear the thought of him being in danger. Not when this had nothing to do with him. “If we’d never met, you would be safe in your cabin, fixing something with a hammer and nails.”
“There is a part of me that could never be fixed with a hammer and nails. That part of me is now whole because of you.” He kissed her cheek and inhaled her scent. “I want to do this for you. I need to do this.”
As he pushed her gently away, she knew there was nothing she could say or do to stop him. “Okay.” Amber didn’t want those last words before he went. “Go. I’ll wait for you.”
Kelos: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 4) Page 16
